Memories Ch. 13

Previous Post

---

Anakin stared straight ahead, watching the ground transports move slowly from the landing field towards the shopping district. Jaina stood beside him, both of them waiting for a break in the traffic so they could continue on to the Temple.

She sighed, and glanced up at him. "Did something happen at the Dance Festival, Anakin?"

He looked down at her, a frown flickering across his face. "Why do you ask that?"

"Because you've been acting weird since you got home last night," she replied. "Even Tahiri and Aunt Mara noticed."

"It's nothing," he said, turning back to the traffic. "Probably just your imagination."

Then a break appeared in the traffic, and Anakin walked out across the road. Jaina frowned at his back, and said, "But..." Then she sighed and started across the street after him.

Then Raynar ran past her, then past Anakin. "Raynar?" she called out.

He stumbled to a stop, and turned to look at them both. "Oh, hey, I didn't see you two."

"What's the hurry?" Jaina asked.

"I got a call from someone, telling me that I need to get to the Student Council room. I was the MC for the festival last night..."

"What was it about?" Anakin suddenly interrupted, quickly closing the distance between himself and Raynar.

"Taking care of what happened yesterday," Raynar replied. Anakin could tell that he was startled slightly by Anakin's aggressiveness. "One of the older trainees was swinging a sword around, right? So the Student Council is using this to petition Master Skywalker to get her expelled."

"Expelled?"

"Now that I think of it, wasn't she with y-"

Anakin interrupted him, by brusquely shoving past him, and taking off at a run towards the Temple.

"H-hey! Anakin!" Raynar called out towards Anakin's back.

"Anakin!" he could hear Jaina calling out as well.

He ignored them both, and instead just ran faster towards the Temple.

Anakin finally stopped running when he reached the Student Council room. He had been inside during his orientation tour--it was a simulation of the real Jedi Council on Coruscant, the students who held the posts were selected by the Masters and the other members of the Student Council. He paused outside the door for a minute, trying to catch his breath.

Finally, he reached for the door, and then he could hear Eryl speaking from the other side.

"I think expulsion is too much. The Student Council is here to help other students out, right?"

Miko responded. "You're wrong. As the Student Council, we have a responsibility to uphold justice at the Academy."

Anakin frowned, and balled his fists, anger pooling at his feet.

Miko continued speaking. "Tenel Ka has done a lot of damage over the years to the Academy. The windows earlier this term. The classroom a year or two ago. And do we all need to be reminded of Jacen? He was one of the best we had. No, we cannot allow her to stay at the Academy."

Eryl continued. "But remember what happened last night. The glass broke before Tenel Ka came in with the sword. She didn't do it, she couldn't have."

Another voice, one that Anakin doesn't recognize, spoke up at this point. "Now that you mention it, I did think someone had thrown rocks in from the outside last night."

Miko raised his voice slightly. "But in the end, the one who was swinging the sword around was Tenel Ka. Everyone there saw it."

"There..." Eryl began, trailing off slightly, before continuing. "There might have been a reason for it. Did you ever consider that?"

"A reason? I'd definitely like you to tell me that reason."

Finally, Anakin could not take it anymore, and yanked open the door, saying, "A reason! There was definitely a reason for it, and I know it."

"Anakin?" Eryl said the surprise evident in her voice.

"What do you want?" Miko snarled. "These are closed deliberations, you're not allowed in here."

Anakin grinned. "It was an attraction, an exhibition."

Miko's eyes widened slightly. "An exhibition?"

"Yeah," Anakin replied. "Tenel Ka was doing a sword dance from Dathomir. She might have overdone it a bit, but she didn't have any bad intentions."

"I haven't heard about this," Miko said, a sly smile appearing on his lips. "Has anyone else?" He glanced around at the other members of the Council, watching as they mutely shook their heads. Then he focused on Anakin again. "An amusing story, especially since no one here seems to have heard it before."

"So you're saying that you don't respect other cultures?"

"That's enough. Leave." Miko demanded.

Anakin clenched his jaw and fist, running through a simple breathing exercise to get his emotions back under control.

Then Raynar appeared from behind him, a smile on his face. "Uh, actually, I did know about this."

Anakin glanced towards him, "Raynar?"

Raynar grinned at him, and then focused on Miko, rubbing the top of his head as he spoke. "Since I was the MC, I asked Tenel Ka to do a little something from her home world. I just didn't realize that she'd be so exuberant. And then I forgot to put it on the program." He chuckled. "And since it's caused such a mess, well, I'm sorry about that."

A short time later, Raynar, Anakin and Eryl were standing in one of the small courtyards outside the Temple. Raynar smiled. "Whew, at least she managed to not get expelled."

"Raynar?" Anakin began. "Why did you do that?"

Raynar chuckled. "Isn't it obvious? You were in trouble, so I helped you out." Then he glanced towards Eryl. "That and I don't like it when beautiful girls are upset."

Anakin nodded his head. "You're really a nice guy, aren't you Raynar?"

"What?" he responded with a grin. "You're just now figuring that out?"

Eryl darted forward then, grabbing his hand, smiling up at him. "Thank you for this, Raynar."

He blushed, at her attention. "N-no, it was nothing."

She let go of his hand, and he stepped away, waving towards them. "All right, Anakin, I'll see you in class then."

Anakin tossed him a wave as he walked away. Eryl watched him go, and then cast a quick glance over her shoulder in Anakin's direction. "He's a good friend, isn't he?"

"Yeah."

Anakin exhaled. "Eryl, you're all right, right?"

She turned towards him slowly, her hands crossing, trying to hide the bandages on one arm from him. "Yes. I'm perfectly fine."

"Th-that's good." Anakin stammered out. Not sure if he should call her on trying to hide her wounds from him.

He paused for a few moments, and then decided it probably didn't matter. "What do you think that was yesterday? You see, the windows suddenly broke... and there's someone breaking the windows at night. Do you think the same person might be responsible for both?"

She laughed. "I don't know. I'm sure it's just someone's idea of a prank."

Then he noticed Tenel Ka walking past, her face an expressionless mask as always. He called out, "Tenel Ka!"

Eryl turned that way and called her name as well.

Tenel Ka stopped and turned towards them both. For a second, her mask fell away, relief and happiness at seeing them was evident on her face. Then just as quickly as they appeared, the emotions were gone. Tenel Ka walked over, even as Anakin and Eryl rushed towards her.

"Eryl," Tenel Ka began. "Is your wound all right?"

"Yep," Eryl replied, with a smile. "It's perfectly fine."

"You know, that was pretty tough," Anakin said towards Tenel Ka. "You should be grateful to Eryl. She saved you from expulsion."

----------------------------

Anakin sat next to Nelani on the low wall. He kicked the toe of his boot into the dirt, digging out a shallow trough.

She glanced up at him, curiosity on her face. "So, how was the dance?"

"Absolutely horrid," he replied, shaking his head. "Some really troubling things happened."

"Troubling?"

He grinned. "It's kind of hard to explain, really. Let's just say that you were better off not going to the ball, Cinderella."

She giggled.

"What?" he demanded.

"You're really nice, aren't you?" she replied, a smile on her face. "Meeting with me like this everyday and everything..." She stood up, the smile slipping from her face for a second before it returned. "But even if it was horrible. I still wanted to go to the Dance Festival."

As he listened, Anakin could only think of what the young Twi'lek told him. He could still hear the exact pitch and timber of that girl's voice: But it's not a cold. She's been out for months, since the first day of this training period.

"Nelani, you..."

"Yes?"

He glanced down, wondering how he could bring up the subject. How he could find out exactly what was wrong with her. Find out just how she was related to Kiori.

Finally, he decided to ignore her sickness for now, so he glanced back at her, saying, "No, umm... Hey, there's a girl in my class with the same last name as you. Kiori Dinn."

Nelani smiled at him, a bright smile that made her eyes shine. "Anakin, you're in the same class as my sister?"

He chewed at his lower lip for a second, and then spoke again. "But when I asked her, she said she was an only child."

Nelani's eyes widen, and her mouth dropped open slightly. "Eh?" she exclaimed, and then her expression fell. "Is... is that so..."

Anakin frowned. "What is that all about?"

She continued to look at the ground, her voice hesitant, and barely louder than a whisper. "Oh, well, that's simple. There's another girl about the same age and with the same name as my sister training here as well."

"So," Anakin responded, not certain that he believed her. "It was someone else?"

She turned away from him, lifting her face towards the sky. "They frequently make this mistake. The one... the one in your class is that other girl."

She shifted slightly, and Anakin could see the small smile that she displayed towards the heavens. "I love my sister. I want to get well, and start my training with her."

Then the timer on Anakin's comlink went off, and she looked down to face him. The smile was still there, but it did not reach her eyes. "Ah, it's time to go now, isn't it? I... I don't think I can come tomorrow. The doctor is visiting me."

She nodded her head towards him, and then began to walk away. Anakin watched her for a moment and then stood up.

"Nelani..."

She paused in mid-stride, her head lowering slightly. Then she turned to face him, a smile on her face. "Yes?"

"Let's go play together sometime, not here at the school, but actually go do something together. To make up for you not being able to go to the dance last night."

The smile on her face disappeared as her eyes widened slightly. "Eh?"

"I'm a bit busy right now, but after everything calms down..."

She smiled at him again. This time her smile lit up her entire face. "It's a promise then, Anakin."

Then she waved at him, and walked off, her steps now with a bounce to them that had not been there before. He watched as she disappeared from the meditation garden. Turning to go back into the Temple, he glanced up and could make out Kiori standing by one of the windows looking down at him. He started to lift his hand to wave to her, but she turned away, disappearing from the window.

He sighed, and went inside.

------------------

Anakin watched as Eryl set out the plates for the three of them.

"You know," he began. "If we had made a single misstep this morning, this could have been the last time all three of us have had lunch together like this."

Eryl giggled. "That may be the case. But, even if Tenel Ka quit training, I would still be her friend."

"Did you hear that, Tenel Ka?" Anakin asked, glancing towards her. "It's hard to find friends that will say that about you."

She just stared at him in response, chewing her bite of food.

A short time later, the three of them had finish lunch and were leaving the Great Chamber. Anakin smiled at Eryl. "Thanks for the meal, Eryl."

"It's nothing," she replied with a smile of her own.

Miko's voice interrupted them at that moment.

"I just don't get it," he said. "Why would you cover for her?"

Anakin frowned, as Eryl replied. "Tenel Ka is my best friend."

Miko shook his head. "I see, but I wasn't necessarily talking to you, Eryl. Of course now that you mention it, if anything else happens, you'll probably be held responsible as well as Tenel Ka, especially since you've been protecting her for so long."

Tenel Ka stepped forward, her eyes narrowed in anger. "I will not forgive you if you hurt her. That is a fact. Never forget that."

Miko snarled and turned away from them, storming off down the hall back in the direction he had come from.

-------------------------

After training was over for the day, Anakin went to the training rooms and found a training sword, a solid shaft of metal, similar to the one that Tenel Ka would weld during her night time excursions to the Temple. He held it out in front of him and then made a few practice swings with the weapon. Frowning, he dropped into a more traditional stance, and went through a few warm up exercises.

After a while, he sighed. "I just can't get the hang of this. What am I doing wrong? Maybe if a sandpanther or a nek attacked, I might be able to get a decent practice out of this."

Suddenly danger flared in the Force, and he spun around, the feeling growing stronger as he did so. As he completed his turn to face the doorway, a bucket slammed into his nose. He dropped to his butt, yelping in pain.

Through his tears, he could make out Tenel Ka slowly advancing towards him.

"What was that for?"

"Sandpanther," she said calmly. "'Roar.' What is this for?"

"You can tell just by looking, can't you?" he replied, rubbing at his sore nose. "It's sword practice. Tonight, I'll fight along side you. If something else happens, you'll be expelled right? I can't let that happen. So, let's work together and take care of the demons." He stood up, and glanced up towards the ceiling, as he continued to talk. "If we do that, then you don't have a reason to swing that sword around anym-"

The feeling of danger flared to life again, and he raised his hilt, looking at Tenel Ka again. His eyes bulged as he saw the fire extinguisher flying towards him. He side-stepped and slammed his sword into the projectile. It crumpled under the force of his attack, and the pressure from the fire retardant cause the extinguisher to explode, spraying the room with fire foam.

He glanced up at Tenel Ka where she stood over him.

"Nek," she said. "'Woof.'"

Anakin frowned. "Isn't that the sound a wyrwulf pup makes?"

Then she walked past him. "No good at all."

Anakin scowled at her as she disappeared from the room.

----------------------------

Anakin stomped through the shopping district, wandering aimlessly about. Anger clouded his features. Jeez, why am I so worried about her?

"Anakin!" someone called out from behind him.

He turned around to find Tahiri standing there, a bright smile lighting up her face. A smile started to appear on his face, and he could feel himself loosening up, the anger and frustration draining away.

He started walking once again, and she fell into step beside him. Looking down, he asked, "On your way home from school?"

"Yup," she replied, nodding her head. "And looking for that thing I lost."

"So, where is your school?"

"Let's see..." Tahiri said, looking left and right. Then she gestured towards the north. "Over that way, I guess."

Anakin frowned for a moment, glancing north. "I thought only some of the old, abandoned temples were out that way. I didn't realize they had put the school for the non-Jedi out there."

Tahiri shrugged her shoulders. "I know it's out far, but I love it."

Silence fell over them, as they continued walking through the shopping district. Finally, Anakin broke it again. "You still haven't found that thing you lost?"

Her face fell slightly, and she glanced down at her feet. "No... I wonder if it's around here somewhere?"

"Tahiri?" he said, and she lifted her face to look at him. "Will you go somewhere with me tonight?"

She blinked a couple times and then nodded her head. Yes.

That night, they stood outside the Jedi Temple gates. Tahiri clung to Anakin as she nervously chewed on her lower lip.

"What do you mean 'demons?'" she asked. "Why do they show up at the Temple?"

Anakin shook his head. "I don't know. That's part of my troubles."

He took her hand in one of his, the other holding a bag of food, and opened the gate, walking confidently through the halls until he found Tenel Ka. As he came closer to her, Tahiri slipped her hand from his, and hid behind him.

"Hey, Tenel Ka!" he called out and she glanced up from the window she was looking out of to focus on them. He raised the bag of food.

Tahiri leaned out from behind Anakin. "H-hello. I'm Tahiri. Who're you?"

Anakin glanced down at her for a moment. "I told her to go home, but she insisted on following me."

He almost laughed, as Tahiri's temper flared. She stomped her feet, and glared up at him. "That's not true. You asked me to come here tonight."

Then he glanced at Tenel Ka, and noticed that she was merely staring at Tahiri. He glanced down at the younger girl, noticing that she was chewing on a knuckle, watching Tenel Ka in return. Sighing, he pulled out some breadsticks from his bag, and gave one to Tenel Ka. Then he took one himself, and bit into it, passing the bag to Tahiri.

The bite echoed through the hallway, and Tahiri jumped slightly.

"It's really quiet here," she stammered out. "That makes the echoes kind of loud. I don't think I like it."

Anakin chuckled. "It is a bright, happy atmosphere here tonight, isn't it?"

"It's not bright at all," she hissed at him. Then she looked towards Tenel Ka. "Tenel Ka, you're pretty mysterious. How many demons are there?"

Tenel Ka thought for a moment, and then put her breadstick into her mouth, and held up her hand, her fingers splayed open wide.

"Five?" Tahiri asked.

Tenel Ka nodded her head, and then bit down onto the bread. The part jutting out beyond her teeth slipped from her lips, and she snatched the remainder from the air as it fell.

Anakin thought for a moment, and then glanced at Tenel Ka. "Hey, you told me where to hunt for Sannah before. Do you think you could tell us where Tahiri's lost item is?"

"What she lost..." Tenel Ka said, a frown appearing on her face.

"Yeah," Anakin replied. "It seems like it's something really important. That's why I brought her here tonight."

Tahiri stepped up, clasping her hands in front of her. "Please!"

Tenel Ka focused on Tahiri, staring at her for a moment.

"Do you know anything?" Anakin asked her.

"You have crumbs on your face," Tenel Ka said to her.

"We didn't ask about that," Anakin exclaimed, a scowl on his face. "What about the thing we're looking for?"

"I can not say anything," Tenel Ka replied

"So, you don't know after all." Tahiri replied, disappointment coloring her face.

"There is probably..." Tenel Ka began. "No, there is no point if I find it for you. It is something that you must find for yourself."

"I... I understand," Tahiri replied. "Anakin? Can we go home now?"

Anakin nodded, and the three of them walked to the entrance of the temple. Anakin looked to Tahiri, saying, "Do you think you can make it back to the apartment all right?"

She frowned at him. "You can't bring me all the way out here, and then expect me to go home all alone."

"I have to stay with Tenel Ka. Sorry."

"I.. I can't do it."

Anakin arched an eyebrow. "If you stay here, the ghosts will be out soon."

"Eek!" she screamed, throwing herself at Anakin, pressing her face into his chest.

"Hey, get a grip," Anakin said. "You're almost an adult now."

"That's not fair..."

Anakin shrugged. "Try hard."

"What's that supposed to mean," Tahiri demanded of him.

Tenel Ka then held out something towards Tahiri. Anakin and Tahiri both looked at it, recognizing it as one of the cookies Anakin had brought for them to eat. Tahiri hesitatingly took it from Tenel Ka, and then Tenel Ka reached out, and ran a hand down Tahiri's face, cupping her cheek in her palm. After a moment, Tahiri had calmed down. She then nodded her head once, and stepped through the doors, disappearing into the night.

After Tahiri had left, Anakin and Tenel Ka went to the training room and Anakin picked up his sword. Then they returned to the second floor where she usually waited for the demons.

After a few minutes, Anakin sighed, and asked, "What was that about?" He paused for a moment, hoping that Tenel Ka would say something. "You can tell me, can't you? Tahiri seemed confused."

After a couple of moments of silence, she replied, "I was wishing her luck."

"With what?"

Her eyes flicked towards him for a moment, and then she was once more staring out the window at the stars. "She is a strong girl."

"Huh?" Anakin said, almost laughing. "She's timid, shy, and afraid of ghosts."

"I could not wait," she replied. "But she... she is still waiting."

Anger flared through Anakin. "Would you stop talking as if you're the only one here? It's because you're like that that o... other..."

He looked away from Tenel Ka at the same moment that she turned to look down the hallway. He saw a flicker of a distortion, and he raised his sword.

"Don't move," she ordered. Then she was running down the hall. She jumped, and swung her blade downwards, striking the distortion. A flash of rainbow-colored light dazzled Anakin's eyes. As he regained his night vision, Anakin saw her flying backwards through the air. She dropped her sword, and landed hard on her butt.

He started forward, and before he could take three steps, she was once more standing.

"Tenel Ka!"

"Stay back," she ordered once again.

Then he noticed the distortion rushing forward towards them.

Anakin ran past her, hearing her gasp as he did so. He swung his blade wildly in the direction of the distortion, but did not hit anything.

"Anakin! Jump!" she screamed from behind him.

But before he could move, something struck him, knocking him back against the wall.

Anakin raised his blade, and the distortion seemed to hover there in front of him, pressing against him.

Tenel Ka let out an inarticulate scream, and was running towards him. As she passed her sword, she leaned down and scooped it up without missing a stride.

Then she jumped forward, her blade striking through to the center of the distortion.

It seemed to waver for a moment, and then it erupted into a brilliant shower of sparks.

She leaned over for a moment, her breath coming in heavy, strained gasps.

Anakin took a step away from the wall. "Did you get it?"

"It is slain," she replied.

"I see."

"So, that means there's only four left, right?"

Tenel Ka slowly turned to face him. "I told you to not move."

Anakin arched an eyebrow at her.

"I would like it if you did not do unnecessary things," she said.

Anakin snorted. "Hey, you were saved because of me."

"Unnecessary," she replied sternly. Then she turned away from him, and began to walk away.

"Hey!" Anakin called out after her, as his body trembled with anger. "Where are you going?"

"Home," she said calmly. "I do not think they will reappear again tonight."

Anakin slammed his sword down against the stone floor. "I see. So that's how you are. That's the type of person you are. No matter how much Eryl or I worry about you, you just don't get it, do you?"

He paused for a heartbeat, hoping that she would stop. She merely continued walking, so he continued to yell at her back. "The fiasco at the dance, everything that's happened, and here you are, walking away as if it all was nothing. In the end, that's just who you are. Kriff, I'm an idiot for trying to protect you."

She neared the corner, her pace unchanged.

He laughed slightly, "But you know what? I'll be back tomorrow night. Why? Because I'm an idiot. Because I like being around you. Because I know that you are a good person. Because both Eryl and I care about you."

She turned the corner and was gone.

----------------------------

Lunch time the following day, and Anakin stared hard at Tenel Ka, as she ate calmly.

Eryl glanced between the two of them, and then said, "Anakin, you're quiet today."

He shrugged his shoulders. "That's because I'm in the middle of a fight with Tenel Ka?"

Eryl's eyes opened wider, and she looked away from Anakin towards Tenel Ka. "Really?"

Tenel Ka swallowed her bite of food, and then shrugged. "If Anakin says so, then it is probably a fact."

Anakin harrumphed, "There's no probably to it. We're fighting."

"That is all," Tenel Ka said.

Anakin sighed, and looked over at Eryl. "You see? She just doesn't care about other people's feelings. It's just starting to get to me."

Eryl just smiled at him. "That's fine. Fighting is just proof that you're close." Then she tilted her head slightly, a frown creasing her brow. "But when did you start fighting? I didn't notice at all?"

"Last night," Anakin replied. "We ran into each other by accident. Isn't that right, Tenel Ka?"

Eryl looked to Tenel Ka, "Is that right?"

"If Anakin says so, then it is probably a fact."

Anakin noticed the thoughtful look on Eryl's face. Then he glanced at Tenel Ka who continued to eat. Finally, he turned his attention to Eryl again. "Hey, I was wondering, just when did you two become friends? Was there a beginning?"

Eryl tilted her head for a moment, and then looked at Tenel Ka with a smile. "I guess if you want a beginning, then it would be that."

Tenel Ka nodded her head once. "It would be that."

Eryl turned back to Anakin. "It was a year or two ago, when Tenel Ka first came to training. Well, she had been here previously, but had to go to her home planet for a visit for a while. At first, we were under different masters, and didn't know each other. Then one day, a creature came out of the woods. It was snarling at a group of younger students. Tenel Ka appeared out of nowhere, and hit it with a stick. But, that just made everyone afraid of her. Later that day, during lunch, I found Tenel Ka near one of the meditation gardens feeding that thing. I offered her my lunch, so she could feed it to the creature as well. So, that is when we started to become friends."

"Ah, I see," Anakin replied, and then he turned towards Tenel Ka. "So, you're really good with animals, huh?"

Pain sliced across her face for the briefest of seconds. It came and went so fast, Anakin wondered if he had actually seen it. She slowly shook her head. "No. I am not particularly good with animals."

Then she went back to eating.

After a moment, Eryl leaned closer to him. "Hey, Anakin? Do you have time to go somewhere with me after classes are over?" Then before he could respond, she leaned even closer, so she could whisper in his ear, "I have something important to tell you... about Tenel Ka."

After lessons had been completed for the day, Anakin stood outside the Temple grounds, leaning against the stone post for the gate. Well, it seems like she suspects something. But if I tell her the truth, then she will definitely worry.

Anakin sighed, wondering for a moment, when had his life became so complicated.

"Anakin?" someone said from right beside him. He jumped if fear, and twisted that way to find Eryl standing there, smiling at him.

"Sorry to make you wait," she said. "Shall we go now?"

Anakin frowned. "Go? Go where?"

"To pick out a present. Tomorrow is Tenel Ka's naming day."

"Her-her naming day? Is that what you wanted to tell me?"

She tilted her head slightly, looking at him, with a slight pout. "Is there anything else?"

Anakin quickly shook his head. "No, nothing else." Then he looked away, and rubbed his chin. "So, Tenel Ka's naming day. That's great."

They walked in silence to the business district, and Eryl paused at the first store front they came to, looking at the small statues on display in the window. She looked at Anakin's reflection in the glass. "I think we should keep it a secret, and try to surprise her. I think she may have forgotten."

"That's like her," Anakin replied.

Eryl straightened up, shaking her head at the statue. "But she never forgets my naming day. Last time, she brought a bunch of flowers to my room."

Anakin thought for a minute, and then grinned. "I know. Let's get her something really feminine, like a stuffed animal."

"A stuffed animal?"

"Yeah," Anakin replied, his grin growing larger. "And we'll get her the biggest one we can find."

A half hour later, the pair found themselves standing in the doll maker's shop, staring at the selection of stuffed animals.

Anakin frowned for a moment. "This is the biggest one, huh?"

"It's a life-sized Affytechan," said a male voice off to their left. Anakin turned that way, and saw the shop keeper. He was an elderly man, with short cropped grey hair, and a moustache. A happy grin was plastered on his face. "It's cute isn't it? The real things are just as beautiful, though they stink to no end."

"Anything can be cute, if you look at it the right way, and with enough lomin ale," Anakin replied.

"I see," said the shop keeper. "And here I was, certain that you two would be the ones to take that thing home." The old man, patted the doll. "This one's quite a piece of work."

Eryl looked up at the Affytechan, and then back to the shop keeper. "This one isn't popular?"

The old man shook his head. "No. It was part of my original shipment of wares when I first opened this shop two years ago. In all that time, no one has ever wanted to buy it. It's kind of pitiful..."

Eryl frowned, and then looked back up at the Affytechan.

"That's horrible..." Eryl said.

"Eryl?" Anakin asked, worried about what Eyrl might be thinking. "Don't tell me..."

Fifteen minutes later, Anakin was carrying the Affytechan doll under his arm, walking alongside Eryl. He glanced at her, a grin tugging at one side of his lips. "You really get into things, don't you?"

She simply shrugged her shoulders. "Tenel Ka could love it, no matter how it looks."

"But we can't take this to the Temple tomorrow. It's a little big for that."

She shrugged her shoulders again. "Then we'll take it to Tenel Ka's room tomorrow, after classes are over."

---------------------------

That night, he sat on the floor calmly eating his share of the food. Tenel Ka stood beside him, quietly eating as well.

"You must be happy having such a great friend," he said into the silence.

"I think so," she replied.

He looked up at her. "Is there anyone else that you get along with? Another close buddy, or a boyfriend?"

"That is a fact," she said, pointing a finger down in his direction.

Anakin scowled up at her, "Other than me."

She exhaled slowly. "Once I did. A long time ago, I had three truly great friends. One of whom, I wished to be more than just friends with."

"Long ago?"

"But he... disappeared. Just like everybody else."

She dropped her food, and snatched up her sword, staring down the hallway. "They are here."

Anakin started to stand, and then she glanced down Anakin's side of the hall. He turned to face that direction, and saw the tell-tale shimmer of a demon. He raised his own sword. "Leave this one to me." He shifted his weapon into a mid-guard. "I can at least buy you some time."

She sighed. "Do not overdo it. Escape if you can."

Anakin barked a short, sharp laugh. "Escaping looks harder than beating them."

She sighed again. "Three... Two... One... Go!"

The he was running down the hall. He sliced towards the distortion, only to get knocked back against the wall. He cried out in pain, as he dropped his sword and crumpled in a heap on the ground.

He struggled to stand, and managed to get his sword raised just in time to have it knocked aside again. Then what felt like a bag filled with bricks slammed into the side of his face, knocking him down the hallway. He slid to a stop, groaning slightly.

He clambered to a standing position again, just in time to see Tenel Ka arrive. With a war cry ripping from her lips, she slammed her blade through the distortion. There was a flare of rainbow light, a brilliant shine where her sword pressed into the distortion. Then it shattered into thousands of rainbow glimmers, which slowly faded.

"Is it dead," he asked.

"It is gone," she replied. "Are you hurt?"

Anakin shook his head. "No, I'm not." Then he started to stand. "What do you think? I can be of some use, huh?"

"The demons came here for you."

Anakin's head snapped up, and he found her staring down at him.

"I am not the one that the demons are targeting," she continued. "Anakin, it is you."

"Me?"

"Anakin..." she began, and for the first time that he could remember, an emotion shone in her eyes, openly and honestly. "Who are you?"

---

Next Post